Wild Turkey 101 - Fire Walk with Me

By: Keith Adams

Wild Turkey 101
http://www.wildturkeybourbon.com/
Austin Nichols Distilling Co

To be completely honest, I had no intention of reviewing this Bourbon.  It wasn't on my radar and any suggestion would normally be shrugged off as a lower tier bourbon that didn't interest me. In a moment of weakness I told a friend I would do this as my next review. I still consider him a friend but only because I subjected him to Rebecca Black's "Friday" when it was released.

With that disclaimer out of the way, I have to admit that this was much better than I expected. It has a nice vanilla/carmel scent and at 101 proof I was definitely expecting this thing to be packing some heat. You can imagine my surprise when I took my first swallow of this bourbon and it went down smoother than many I have tried. This was followed by 5-10 seconds of me evaluating the taste when the full heat hit me. Breathing became a chore and there is a fire that erupts from your belly up into the chest and into the esophagus.  Once you get used to that "holy shit" moment, you begin to appreciate what this bourbon really has to offer. The caramel and vanilla stay with it in the finish where it's joined by a nice cinnamon flavor.

Wild Turkey was definitely better than I expected and I'm glad I had a chance to give it a try.  For the record, I gave the remainder of the bottle to my daughter's boyfriend to finish.  There are better bourbons out there for me to spend my time with but in a pinch I would drink more Wild Turkey.

Taste: Carmel, Sweet, and when we kiss... FIRE!

Price: $20-$25

Purchase Again: No (unless stranded in a small town and your other options are Beam and Jack)

Four Roses Small Batch... I went back

By: Matt Adams

Four Roses Small Batch

From the Four Roses Distillery

http://www.fourrosesbourbon.com/small-batch/

So I went back and got the Four Roses after feeling guilty for not finishing the under $20 reviews properly. My motivations for getting through this bottle are purely selfish because I want to get into some other things on the checklist before spring.

This is a really drinkable bourbon on it's own and is even more so with a splash of water. It's a smooth drink that's not nearly as harsh as others I've sampled. With my untrained nose I get fruit and vanilla. There isn't much more to it other than that. I've read some other reviews where tasters have gotten black pepper, but I haven't gotten any of that shit. Up front it's very smooth and there isn't much of a burn. It is a nice introduction to bourbon if you're looking for a really smooth one to drink. Very pleasing taste on the palate which is mostly fruit, vanilla and sweetness. I don't get the barrel until the finish and even then it's not over powering and REALLY subtle. I personally like to get the barrel up front and enjoy a very heavy wood char taste, but others might like that surprise at the end. Happy endings always rule. The finish is very smooth and sweet. Everything I was expecting when I smelled it. I am curious to try the Four Roses Single Barrel next time around. If it's as smooth as this bottle of booze, I think I might have one that's going to be in the cabinet more than once. Take it this way... This is a very happy drink that's going to go down smooth and not piss you off for spending money on. I can safely say you can buy this if you're looking for something that won't disappoint you when you crack the damn seal. My personal jury is out on this one still. Is this the best Four Roses has in their repertoire? I'm not going to buy this again until I know for sure. 

Taste: Smooth, Sweet, very easy to drink
Price: $20 -$30
Purchase Again: No. Only for the hopes of other Four Roses brands being better!